Microassembly Processes and Microassembled Devices M. Probst, R. Borer, B. J. Nelson Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, ETH Zurich, Switzerland Abstract Many future micro-scale products will rely on flexible microassembly systems that are capable of assembling three dimensional structures with high precision and repeatability. This is not only because of limitations imposed by clean-room processes but also because of the high-complexity of new sensor and actuator designs. Introducing new techniques into existing assembly systems for more complex components and higher output yield is crucial for industry acceptance. This paper presents an advanced 6 DOF microassembly system that allows the dexterous manipulation of parts of a large range of size and also serves as a test platform for a series of concepts. Keywords: micro-assembly, micro-manufacturing 1. Introduction The construction of intelligent sub-millimeter sized devices using standard microfabrication processes and to equip those with advanced robotic handling and/or sensing tools is a challenging task. Such a microrobot could be used for example for high-precision local drug delivery in the human body, i.e. the eye or the blood circuit. It would be externally steered and powered by magnetic fields in order to fulfill its tasks. The complexity of such a device demands a high degree of integration of its individual components. A promising approach is the concept of hybrid MEMS, where incompatible materials and manufacturing processes as well as 2.5D shape limitations are overcome [1]. The aggregation of complex hybrid MEMS asks for advanced microassembly systems that are capable of ultra-precisely assembling microparts within a reasonable amount of time. Ideally, the operation of such a system would be as simple and intuitive as assembling macroparts by hand. This would make microassembly systems indispensable members of any lab working in the field of (hybrid) MEMS. This work demonstrates an advanced microassembly station in its second generation. It starts off with a brief literature overview and continues with a detailed description of the mechanical-, vision- as well as software components. Some ideas and future concepts are provided in the end of this paper. 2. Previous Research A large number of microassembly systems for various applications have been developed over the past few years. They can be classified as parallel microassembly, self–assembly and serial microassembly systems [2] [3]. Whereas the first two methods aim at the mass production of components, serial microassembly offers more flexibility and parts can be of higher complexity since the individual components can mostly be translated and oriented in full 6 DOF. The aid of computer vision has proven to be a robust method for coping with high precision requirements and vastly different physics governing part interactions at the microscale and some interesting work can be found in [1] [4] [5] [6]. Visually guiding components to their final position, either in a semi– or fully automatic mode, can be supported by manufacturing devices with snap-lock features [7] [8] [9]. Those LEGO-like building blocks are more complex but make an additional bonding unit (i.e. a glue dispenser) obsolete. Interesting work on microassembly concepts has been done by [10] and [11]. A good overview of environmental influences on microassembly processes as well as the construction of a “controlled climate system” can be found in [12]. We envision a versatile full 6 DOF microassembly station that can handle a large variety of parts using a simple and cost-efficient hardware setup under non-cleanroom conditions. It should also provide a simple interface and assist users with a semi- or fully-automatic mode. 3. Microassembly System Setup 3.1. Mechanical Setup The microassembly system presented here is based on a previous system also built at IRIS three years ago (details can be found in [13]). A large number of experiments and input from different users lead to the final design shown in Figure 1. The current system consists of a base unit, a top unit, three camera units as well as a cover that holds the illumination dome. Fig. 1. IRIS Microassembly System V2.